UNC avoids shocker

13th-seeded Ohio takes No. 1 seed to overtime

Associated Press

Published 12:50 am, Saturday, March 24, 2012

Photo: Charlie Riedel

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North Carolina forward John Henson and Ohio guard Walter Offutt (3) battle for a loose ball during the second half of an NCAA tournament Midwest Regional college basketball game, Friday, March 23, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) less

North Carolina forward John Henson and Ohio guard Walter Offutt (3) battle for a loose ball during the second half of an NCAA tournament Midwest Regional college basketball game, Friday, March 23, 2012, in St. ... more

Photo: Charlie Riedel

UNC avoids shocker

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ST. LOUIS — Awful all night, Harrison Barnes came through when North Carolina needed him most.

Barnes scored five of his 12 points in overtime and the top-seeded Tar Heels escaped a huge upset with a 73-65 victory over 13th-seeded Ohio on Friday night in the Midwest Regional semifinals.

Ohio, trying to become the first team seeded 13th or worse to make the regional finals since the tournament expanded in 1985, had a chance to convert a three-point play that would have given the Bobcats the lead with 25 seconds left in regulation. Walter Offutt missed from the line, however, and Ohio went 0 for 6 from the field in the first overtime of this year's NCAA tournament.

Tyler Zeller finished with 20 points and a career-high 22 rebounds for North Carolina, leading four scorers in double figures.

Offutt led the Bobcats (29-8) with 26 points, including 18 from 3-point range, and Nick Kellogg added 14. But D.J. Cooper, who had averaged 20 points in the first two tournament games, finished with just 10 on 3-of-20 shooting.

North Carolina (32-5), which has won 11 straight in the regional semifinals, plays the winner of North Carolina State-Kansas on Sunday afternoon.

"Probably the ugliest win I've ever been a part of," Reggie Bullock said. "But we won the game and, hopefully, we'll do better on Sunday."

The Tar Heels were playing without point guard Kendall Marshall, perhaps their most irreplaceable player and the steadying hand behind their fast-paced attack, and his absence clearly showed. The Tar Heels were sloppy, turning the ball over a season-high 24 times, and they could never get a handle on the smaller, quicker Bobcats.

North Carolina coach Roy Williams said he didn't think Marshall would be able to play Sunday.

"I don't think so 'cause he still hasn't done anything, but North Carolina's going to play on Sunday. We're happy about that," he said.

After trailing by as many as 15 in the first half, Ohio got hot from long range in the second half. The Bobcats were 8 of 13 from beyond the arc in the second half, with Offutt doing most of the damage.

Cooper finally made a 3, his only one of the game, and Kellogg came right back with another to give Ohio its first lead of the game, 47-46 with 8:28 to play, sending the crowd at the Edward Jones Dome into a frenzy.

Kentucky 102, Indiana 90

ATLANTA — Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 24 points and Kentucky shook off a quiet night by freshman star Anthony Davis, pulling away from Indiana in a showdown of storied programs for a victory in the South Regional semifinals.

Davis wasn't a huge factor after picking up two early fouls, but the top-seeded Wildcats (35-2) had five other players in double figures.

Christian Watford had 27 points to lead the Hoosiers (27-9), whose comeback season ended two wins shy of the Final Four. Indiana, which won a total of 28 games the previous three seasons, has regained its usual place among the college basketball bluebloods.